WORCESTER—When it comes to designing ballparks that change skylines—and sometimes the fate of neighborhoods—Janet Marie Smith doesn’t just play the game. She changes it.
On Saturday, June 7, the WooSox hosts their rescheduled fourth annual UniBank Women in Sports Day, and this year’s edition is anchored by a keynote address from Smith, the visionary behind Camden Yards, the Fenway Park renovations, Dodger Stadium’s rebirth, and, closer to home, the design of Worcester’s own Polar Park.
“I hope Polar Park feels like that link that ties the Canal and Theatre Districts together,” Smith told the Worcester Guardian. “It takes a generational project of scale to make this feel like an instant connection.”
The free event kicks off at noon inside Polar Park’s third-floor club with a luncheon and keynote from Smith, who was recently named to the WooSox Hall of Fame. She’ll reflect on a career devoted to transforming stadiums and revitalizing cities through smart, community-rooted design. “Baseball brings energy to cities—weekends and weekdays, day and night,” she said. “It offers a way to bring hundreds of thousands of new visitors downtown.”
Following the luncheon, attendees can connect with the women who make the WooSox tick. Members of the front office, including EVP and GM Brooke Cooper and PR Director Alexis Dill, will host hands-on stations to share their roles and experiences navigating sports leadership. Many are former athletes themselves.
“This day showcases what’s possible when women are supported in sports leadership,” said Dill. “We hope to show girls and young women that there’s room for them here—and for their friends, too.”
A networking hour, photo ops with WooSox photographers, and mock interviews with sideline reporter Natalie Noury round out the afternoon, leading into the 4:05 p.m. game against the Rochester Red Wings. Fans don’t need a game ticket to attend the luncheon, but the first 100 to buy through the WooSox’s FEVO link get a “Girls Who Play Sports Become Women Who Lead” T-shirt.
The event is presented by UniBank, whose new Canal District branch is led by an all-women leadership team. CEO Michael Welch called the event’s mission “deeply aligned” with the bank’s values.
For Smith, who credits her career longevity to a simple philosophy—“follow your passions, and jump in to fill what’s missing”—being inducted into the WooSox Hall of Fame is “an amazing surprise and honor.” But, she added, this one’s special: “This project will always be a career highlight for me.”
After the game, fans can cap off the day with a Sunset Catch on the Field, presented by Planet Fitness. NESN will broadcast segments of the event throughout June and July.
Have news, tips, or a story worth telling? Reach Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org—because good stories (and great scoops) deserve to be shared.
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